Fluxx

To say that Fluxx is simple would be an understatement. The entire starting rules fit
onto one regular-sized playing card. All the other rules you make up as you go
along.

Fluxx is similar in some ways to the classic meta-thinking game, Nomic. In Nomic,
the participants invent new rules which will help them to win. Fluxx has much the
same idea, except that the rule changes are written on cards that you play from
your hand. This simplification makes Fluxx much more accessible than Nomic
(which is reputed to be close to impossible for most of the populace). A typical rule
change might be 'draw three', so that instead of drawing one card, each player
draws three cards at the start of each turn.

At any stage in a game, there is one goal in play. The instant someone satisfies
the condition of the goal, that player is the winner. Goals usually relate to 'Keeper'
cards, cards which you play to the table in front of you. A typical goal might be
'chocolate and milk'; if you have both the chocolate Keeper and the milk Keeper,
you win.

Fluxx is aptly named; the game's outcome is never known until someone
announces, 'I win!' Goals change rapidly in the game as players play new goal
cards to replace the old goal. A player who is apparently in the lead with six or
seven Keepers can be instantly reined back with a 'Keeper limit zero' card. A
game could be over in one turn, or it could last for 15 minutes or more. It is this
uncertainty that makes Fluxx a great party game, since skill and strategy have very
little bearing on the final result.

If you buy this game, make sure you get the second edition. The second edition of
Fluxx features colour cards which are easier to read and hold in your hand. The
first edition cards were printed in black and white.